The arrival of autumn has turned the muggy weather cool and refreshing, but many friends in the south can still feel the enthusiasm of the sun at noon. Drinking pour-over coffee in this dry season often causes a dry sensation in the throat, so refreshing cold brew coffee has become everyone's favorite. Some friends ask about the coffee-to-water ratio for making cold brew coffee and for recommendations of coffee beans suitable for cold brew coffee~ Arranged! In this article, Front Street will talk about some key points for making cold brew coffee!
 

What is cold brew coffee?
Cold brew coffee is made through long extraction at low temperature. Because low-temperature extraction is used, the bitter flavor substances in the coffee grounds are difficult to extract, while the sour and sweet substances are fully released after long soaking, which makes the coffee rich in aroma, full in acidity and sweetness, and smooth and mellow in mouthfeel.

The coffee-to-water ratio for making cold brew coffee
Front Street usually recommends a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:13 for making cold brew coffee. The cold brew made this way has just the right concentration and can be enjoyed directly without dilution. Some friends also like to add milk/soda water or use it to make fancy coffee. In that case, the coffee concentration needs to be increased. Front Street recommends a ratio of 1:10 for cold brew coffee used to make specialty coffee drinks.
 

How to make cold brew coffee?
Taking the coffee-to-water ratio of 1:13 as an example, Front Street uses 30g of coffee beans, with a grind size such that about 80-85% passes through a 0.85mm standard sieve (medium-fine grind). "It should be noted here that although low-temperature extraction can reduce the appearance of bitter substances, it is not 100%. If the grind is too fine, after the sour and sweet substances in the coffee grounds are quickly extracted, the mellow substances will be released. An appropriate amount of mellow substances can enhance the coffee's body, but after soaking for a long time, woody flavors will begin to appear, reducing the overall cleanliness of the coffee."
 

After grinding the coffee beans, put them into a clean, oil-free sealed container, add 150g of ice cubes and 240ml of purified water, cover the lid and shake gently to ensure the coffee grounds and ice water fully contact, then place it in the refrigerator and let it sit for 12-24 hours. After extraction is complete, use filter paper or a fine mesh strainer to filter out the coffee grounds and it is ready to drink.

How long can cold brew coffee be stored after filtering?
In theory, the longer cold brew coffee sits, the stronger the fermented flavor becomes. However, excessive fermentation makes the coffee lose its original flavor. For friends who do not like too strong a fermented taste, Front Street does not recommend trying it easily. The best time to enjoy cold brew coffee is 2-3 days after filtering out the coffee grounds, and the recommended storage time should not exceed 7 days.
 

Recommended coffee beans suitable for making cold brew coffee
Because low-temperature extraction makes it difficult to extract mellow substances, medium-dark roasted coffee beans may produce relatively thin cold brew coffee, lacking body and mellowness. Therefore, Front Street recommends using medium-light/medium roasted coffee beans, coffee beans with prominent acidity and sweetness or prominent aroma.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Ethiopia Natural Red Cherry coffee beans produce cold brew with a full complex fruity feel and a black tea-like tea sensation;
 

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Panama Butterfly Geisha blend coffee beans produce cold brew coffee with citrus acidity, white floral notes, and a green tea sensation;
 

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Costa Rica Musician Series Mozart coffee beans produce cold brew coffee with raisin aroma, obvious fermentation, and a solid, mellow mouthfeel;
 

In addition to the several mentioned above, when Front Street makes this kind of low-temperature extraction coffee, it gives priority to beans with floral and fruity flavors. For friends who like floral notes, it is recommended to buy Front Street Flower Kui coffee and Front Street Fruit Ding Ding coffee. If you prefer a more obvious juicy feel, it is suggested to choose Front Street Strawberry Candy coffee, Front Street Little Tomato coffee, Front Street Xizhua coffee, and other beans with rich fruit tones. All of the above can be ordered at the Front Street Tmall flagship store or Front Street Taobao store.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.